Happy Wesak
Saturday May 13, 2006
Happy Wesak to one and all!
For those who don’t know, Wesak is the celebration of the enlightenment and also (in some places), the birth and the passing away of the Buddha. The festival is celebrated annually and is a chance for Buddhists to get together and engage in wild, abandoned celebration. In Britain, at least, this usually consists of sipping lukewarm tea and nibbling on biscuits whilst making polite conversation, a form of Dionysian excess that British Buddhism has inherited from the Anglican church. We sure know how to celebrate over here: just let me put the kettle on, and I’ll show you a good time.
If all goes to plan, I should be spending the day in the lovely city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, attending a friend’s ordination and revisiting some of my old haunts. I’m really looking forward to visiting the North-East again and catching up with old friends.
If you are celebrating the festival yourself – whether with lukewarm tea or with full samba band – then have a fantastic day.
To find out more about Wesak – it’s not all tea and biscuits, you know – have a look at the very interesting paper on the McGill university website by David Turpie. Or else have a look on Wikipedia.
Image: tibetart.org
